The Alameda Bottoms Hearing: a free Western logic-grid puzzle

The trouble at Alameda Bottoms reached the territorial paper before it reached the sheriff, which tells you something. See what the facts will carry.

This free Rookie logic-grid puzzle has 4 suspects, 4 locations, and 4 pieces of evidence. New to logic grids? Start with the pencil-solving guide.

How to mark the grid

●: These two belong together.
✕: These two are ruled out.
blank: Still undecided.

How to play

Click, tap or press Enter on a cell to cycle it: blank, then ● for a confirmed pairing, then ✕ for one you have ruled out. Nothing fills itself in — the deductions are yours to make. Use the arrow keys to move around the grid.

Fill obvious Xs does the bookkeeping only: for each ● you have marked, it crosses off the rest of that pairing's own row and column. It never adds a ●, never reads a clue, and never changes a mark you made.

On a narrow screen the grid scrolls sideways.

Every case has exactly one solution, and it is always reachable by deduction alone. Nothing here guesses for you, and Check will not tell you which mark is wrong.

Clues and evidence

The cut sheaf band was Vicente Ochoa's, and nobody disputes it.
Francisco Rael had no use for the cracked plow point.
Francisco Rael was never linked to the cut hobble strap.
Widow Ynez Trujillo had nothing to do with the cut hobble strap.
Vicente Ochoa was never once placed at Alameda Bottoms.
Nobody saw Dolores Arvizu anywhere near Old Compuerta.
Francisco Rael was nowhere near Alameda Bottoms.
Whatever else is true, Dolores Arvizu wasn't at Tule Bottom.
The deputy struck Alameda Bottoms off Dolores Arvizu's account.
Vicente Ochoa stayed well away from Tule Bottom.

The grid

On a narrow screen the grid scrolls sideways.

Your marks, completions and streak are saved in this browser only. There is no account, and clearing your browser data clears that local progress. If you accept analytics, the site sends anonymous puzzle-usage events; it never sends your grid marks, clues or solution.

If you want a hundred more

Five volumes, printed and portable

Each Frontier Logic volume collects 100 western mystery logic-grid puzzles, every one with exactly one solution and a complete answer key. Every volume stands alone, in standard and large print.